We took a look at Maxell's Audio Wild headphones. One of the most noticeable characteristics of this over-the-ear set is the texture of the generous cushions, with a sleek, rubberised, matt finish. The electric green highlights add a bold touch that’s likely to resonate with style-conscious users out there (there are two other designs). The 40mm drivers deliver a solid audio experience. The frequency response is 20Hz-20KHz, and we were able to pick up a decent level of detail at both high and low frequencies, doing justice to our favourite tracks. They’re not audiophile headphones, of course; you tend to get what you pay for in the audio arena. But for the money we were fairly impressed. See Sennheiser 220 review.

Offering an adequate level of sound isolation, the headphones are suitable for use on public transport, while the 90-degree swivel ear cup will be a welcome feature for those who DJ. The lightweight headphones have a secure fit, which is adjustable. However, we found them slightly uncomfortable when worn for long periods of time.

The Audio Wild headset includes a gold-plated 3.5 to 6.2mm jack adaptor and 1.2m cable. The cord has ample length to connect to devices stored in a pocket or rucksack, and could just about serve for sofa use with a home entertainment system. On the down side, the headphones don’t feature an inline microphone, volume control or call accept/end button for hands-free calling, nor do they come with a carry case or pouch. But again we’d stress that such luxuries would be unusual at this price point.

Buying Advice:

The Audio Wild headphones are attractive enough to tempt the youngsters, and offer decent audio for the money. They can get a bit uncomfortable – that’s our only real complaint.